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Motion Recording Troubleshooting (VMAX IP Plus)

Updated

Motion Recording Troubleshooting (VMAX® IP Plus)

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Affected Roles:  Administrator, Owner

Software Version:  VMAX® IP Plus v1.3.7.0 or later

Last Edit:  July 23, 2026

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Motion Detection

Motion recording on the VMAX® IP Plus relies on motion events from the connected IP camera via the ONVIF protocol. If motion recording is not working as expected, the issue may be caused by the NVR configuration, camera settings, or the camera's ONVIF communication.

This article outlines common troubleshooting steps to help identify and resolve motion recording issues.

 

**NOTE:  Motion recording is only supported when cameras are added to the VMAX® IP Plus using the ONVIF protocol. Cameras added via RTSP do not support motion events and cannot record motion.

Supported/Affected Devices

  • VMAX® IP Plus
  • MEGApix® Camera Series

Common Causes of Motion Recording Issues

  • Camera added using RTSP instead of ONVIF
  • Motion recording not enabled in the recording schedule
  • Motion area not configured correctly
  • Motion detection disabled on the camera
  • Camera/NVR firmware compatibility issues

Checking the VMAX® IP Plus

When encountering motion detection issues with the VMAX® IP Plus, here are some simple things that you can try:

 

Power-Cycling

Turn the system power off, then back on.  If the VMAX® IP Plus does not begin to detect motion and record video, further troubleshooting is necessary.

 

Check Firmware Version

  1. Log in to the VMAX® IP Plus as the Administrator or as a user with administrator rights.
  • Default ID:  admin
  • Default Password: 

 

  1. Right-click with the mouse and select Menu.

From the Setup Menu, click on System, then select Information.

 

  1. From the System Information menu, check the Current Firmware Version of your VMAX® IP Plus.

To learn more about firmware management, please read Upgrading Firmware For A VMAX IP Plus.

 

Check Recording Settings

When using the VMAX® IP Plus, recording icons will appear at the top of each recording channel.  You may check your system for these symbols to determine if the NVR is assigned to use a motion recording type.

 

To check the recording settings:

  1. From the Setup Menu, click on Record, then select Recording Schedule.

 

  1. From the Recording Schedule menu, make sure that the desired camera is assigned to either a Motion recording mode or one of the motion recording variants to utilize motion detection and recording.

 

Check Motion Area

When a motion recording mode is enabled on the VMAX® IP Plus, the NVR records video when motion events are received from the connected camera.

To set the Motion Area:

  1. From the Setup Menu, click on Alarm, then select Camera Alarm.

 

  1. In the Motion Area column, click on the Set button for the camera.

 

  1. Make sure that the Motion Area is mapped out to meet your specifications.

Click on specific squares, click-and-drag, or click Select All from the control panel to highlight the zones that you want the system to watch for motion.  If an area is not highlighted, motion detection is disabled for that zone.

Additionally, try increasing the Sensitivity setting of the Motion Area.

Click the Save button once you have finished mapping the Motion Area.

 

Checking the Camera

If the NVR settings are correct, verify that motion detection is enabled on the camera itself. Most Digital Watchdog cameras have motion detection enabled by default, but the settings may have been changed.

 

**NOTE:  If the camera is connected directly to the integrated PoE switch of the VMAX® IP Plus and you are connecting using a web browser, please read Connecting With Cameras Through Virtual Ports to connect with the camera.

 

 

Configure Motion Detection on the Camera's Web Interface

To verify the camera's motion detection settings:

  1. Launch a web browser and enter the IP address of the Digital Watchdog camera. Alternatively, you may utilize the virtual web ports. For additional information, please refer to the following link: https://support.digital-watchdog.com/hc/en-us/articles/43284111967252-Connecting-With-Cameras-Through-Virtual-Ports-VMAX-IP-Plus
  2. Sign in using the camera's administrator credentials.
    Note: Default login credentials vary depending on the camera model. The default username is typically "admin," and the default password is either "admin" or !A NVR's local MAC address (in lowercase). For more information, please click on the following link:  https://support.digital-watchdog.com/hc/en-us/articles/43283855377172-VMAX-IP-Plus-MEGApix-Camera-Password-Policy.
  3. Navigate to the camera's Setup, Configuration, or Settings menu.
  4. Locate the Event, Alarm, or Motion Detection settings.
  5. Configure the motion detection settings as follows:
    1. Enable Motion Detection if it is currently disabled.
    2. Define the motion detection areas by drawing or selecting regions on the camera's live view.
    3. Adjust the sensitivity and threshold settings as required.
  6. Click Apply or Save to confirm and preserve the changes.
  7. If prompted, please reboot the camera to finalize the configuration process.

 

 

 

 

 

Using ONVIF Device Manager

Cameras must be added to the NVR using ONVIF to utilize motion recording.  If the camera was added using RTSP, motion recording will not be possible.

It is recommended to download and install ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) on a computer connected to the same network as the cameras.

This application is only compatible with Windows OS, but is a great tool for troubleshooting cameras.

 

To check camera motion issues with ODM:

  1. After installing ONVIF Device Manager (ODM), launch ODM.

Enter the User ID and Password of the camera’s ONVIF profile, then click the Log In button.

 

  1. Select the camera from the Device List, then click on Profiles.

 

  1. Check the Secondary stream of the camera.

Select Video Encoder Configuration and locate the Resolution of the secondary stream.

Make sure that the resolution of the camera’s secondary stream is no greater than 720 x 576.  If needed, this setting can be adjusted through the camera’s web client.

 

 

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